How Much Work Other Than Correction

[rjmacready]

I have multiple levels of facet arthtropathy/moderate canal stenosis that need repair as well as the curve correction. How many of you getting ready for the deformity correction have similar problems, and what does the surgeon plan to do about it? Please help if you can, I posted several other questions that got no replies. I don't have any other place to seek advice. I know nobody, even by sight only, that has had the surgery. I can't be the only pre-surgery patient that have these issues. Your experiences would tell me more than reading countless journal articles. Thanks RJM

[Jjohnsonphd]

Well, I am not familiar with what else you need done but here is what my surgeon told me. For me, it was discovered that I had a slipped disk at L4-L5, it was degenerated and I had some canal narrowing. He repaired that in its own surgery, telling my my huge correction was surgery enough for my body and he didn't want to add any other surgery to it. I had wanted to do it all at once but I am glad I broke it down in two surgeries. It allowed the first to heal and I feel very ready for my big surgery. Not sure if that helps. Good luck in your journey!

[LindaRacine]

I have multiple levels of facet arthtropathy/moderate canal stenosis that need repair as well as the curve correction. How many of you getting ready for the deformity correction have similar problems, and what does the surgeon plan to do about it? Please help if you can, I posted several other questions that got no replies. I don't have any other place to seek advice. I know nobody, even by sight only, that has had the surgery. I can't be the only pre-surgery patient that have these issues. Your experiences would tell me more than reading countless journal articles. Thanks RJM

Hi...

Just about everyone with scoliosis, who is over the age of 40 or 50, has at least some stenosis and facet arthropathy. It's typically why surgeons like to get CT scans on us "older" patients. If those issues aren't addressed during surgery, the patient would probably be very unhappy with their outcome.

--Linda

[jackieg412]

Adults have all kinds of spine problems. My surgeon took care of all of them in one very major surgery. It is hard to make the decision on this type of surgery. You will get good answers here. At least an idea of good questions to ask your doctor.

[titaniumed]

Chet, In adults with scoliosis around age 50, stenosis and facet issues are common. Scoliosis surgeons do have a host of procedures they do in each particular case....In my case, I had every facet complex removed from T3-Sacrum, it states this in my hospital reports. This doesn’t mean you will have this done, I didn’t know every level was going to be done, and many decisions are made after they get in. Laminectomy is one of the procedures for stenosis, the removal of the “roof”of the vertebrae,(from the back) I couldn’t tell you if you might have this done...and I didn’t have any laminectomies done, but I had stenosis.

Reviewing scoliosis surgery procedures in adults takes years of training. It is an amazing thing to learn about some procedures and methods, but learning them all, and knowing this material is an involved process. This is what scoliosis surgeons do.

If you have a qualified scoliosis surgeon, this is the best you can do. I probably had around 30 different pain producing problems in my lumbar spine, and my surgeon apparently solved all of them which I didn’t expect would happen. He didn’t explain all of the methods to me, this would be impossible. Once I felt confident in his abilities, I had to trust that he could do the best he could. He guaranteed that something would go wrong, but in the end he told me it would help. Its about cutting losses, and good surgeons wont operate unless they feel there will be an improvement.

When your pain is high, you have to make that decision. It took me many years (34) to finally commit, commit to the next step because all other methods failed. Its also not an easy thing to go into something that feels like you been hit by a truck, so we have to be prepared for some pain and a little understanding that its not going to be easy.

Regular orthopedic doctors who do an occasional level or two on elder adults who suspect that a scoliosis might be triggered, shouldn’t operate and should refer to scoliosis surgeons. Its unfortunate that this has happened to you. If you feel that your quality of life is bad enough, sometimes you have little choice. Adults with degeneration are a difficult group for scoliosis surgeons, they can expect things but never know what can happen since the spine is so difficult.

Its like fighting a forest fire. Fireman have tools and procedures, but with shifting winds, these plans change on the fly...They have to have a good team, and be able to adjust procedure quickly.

Ed

[leahdragonfly]

Hi there, I had my original surgery in 2010 for severe pain and radiculopathy from spinal stenosis, lumbar facet arthropathy, spondylolisthesis, disc degeneration, etc. My curve was beside the point really, although it rapidly degenerated from around 30 degrees lumbar to 47 over a period of two years. I had a very good outcome as far as relief of radiculopathy and back pain, despite suffering broken rods twice due to pseudoarthrosis. My surgical report listed 8 procedures. Your surgeon sounds excellent and shoukd address all of your problems. Advanced imaging such as you're having helps them find everything that needs to be fixed.

Feel free to ask any questions you like or PM me if you'd like to talk more.